Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini beat 18-year old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 (10-5) in a match that lasted four hours and 10 minutes to enter the men's singles fourth round here at the Rod Laver Arena.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Gael Monfils won in straight sets to enter the fourth round of men's singles.
Seventh seed Matteo Berrettini started off on a positive note breaking Carlos Alcaraz in the fifth and seventh games to win the opening set by a comfortable margin of 6-2.
The Italian kept on pressing and he broke the Spaniard in the opening game of the second set. Serving with a 4-3 lead the second set looked to go in Berrettini's favour but Alcaraz broke his serve to level the score 4-4. Both the players held their serves to take the game to a tie-breaker. In the tie-breaker Berrettini raced to a 5-1 lead and won 7-3.
Alcaraz was not the one to give up without a fight and in the third set both players held their serves to make it 4-4. In the ninth game Alcaraz broke the seventh seed to take a crucial 5-4 lead going into the serve. The 31st seed Spaniard held his serve to win the third set 6-4 and stay in the match.
The third set victory gave the 18 year old just the impetus which was needed and he broke Berrettini in the fifth and seventh game to take the fourth set 6-2.
In the fifth and final set both the players did not give anything away holding their serves. Berrettini led 6-5 going in to the 12th game with Alcaraz serving to stay in the match. At the score of 30-40 Berrettini had the match point but the 18-year old Spaniard saved it and took the set to a tie-breaker.
The tie-breaker was a neck-to-neck battle with scores tied 4-4 but the Italian held his nerve to win it 10-5 and the five set encounter.
In another men's singles clash, Gael Monfils defeated Cristian Garin of Chile in straight sets at the Kia Arena in a match that lasted two hours and one minute to enter the fourth round.
Frenchman Monfils broke Garin in the third game of the opening set to take a 3-1 lead but the Chilean fought back breaking his opponent in the sixth set to level the scores 3-3. From there on both players held their serves as the first set went to a tie-breaker. In the tie-break Garin raced to 4-1 lead but the French clawed his way back and won all the points to win 7-4.
After winning the opening set in the tie-break Gael Monfils did not look back, breaking Garin twice to race to a 4-0 lead. Ultimately with three breaks Monfils won the second set 6-1. Monfils's domination continued in the third set too as he broke the Chilean in the third, fifth and seventh game to seal the match 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, 6-3.
( With inputs from ANI )
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